US Sanctions Key Threat Actors Tied to North Korea’s Remote IT Worker Scheme

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury has taken a strong stance against cyber-enabled financial schemes that support North Korea’s illicit weapons programs by imposing sanctions on Song Kum Hyok, a malevolent cyber actor connected to the hacking group Andariel of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Announced on July 10, 2025, this action also targets one individual, Gayk Asatryan, and four entities involved in a Russia-based IT worker network generating revenue for the DPRK regime.

These sanctions underscore the U.S. government’s ongoing efforts to disrupt the Kim regime’s clandestine funding mechanisms for its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs through cyber espionage and deceptive employment practices.

Treasury Targets DPRK Cyber Actor

Song Kum Hyok, operating from DPRK, orchestrated a sophisticated IT worker scheme where foreign nationals, often DPRK citizens based in countries ...